Nickname(s) |
|
---|---|
Association | French Football Federation |
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
Head coach | Bernard Diomède |
FIFA code | FRA |
The France national under-17 - 16 football team is the national under-17 - 16 football team of France who will be playing in the UEFA European Championship this year or next year and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is held every two years. The under-17 team also participates in local and international friendly tournaments, such as the Montaigu Tournament and the Toto Cup, which is held in Austria.
France have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup once in 2001. However, of the 18 players that played on the championship-winning team, only one of them has played in the senior team of France; Florent Sinama-Pongolle. Several players on the team, such as Hassan Yebda, Mourad Meghni, Chaouki Ben Saada, and Emerse Faé have played for other national teams for which they were eligible. The under-17 team has also won the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship twice, in 2004 and 2015. The championship-winning team began a new generation for the senior national team as it was composed of several players who have established themselves as French internationals. Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema, Jérémy Menez, and Hatem Ben Arfa have all gone on the represent the senior team and participate in a major international tournament for France.